Who is Eric Hagg? With all of the hype surrounding the players the Cleveland Browns drafted in the first five rounds of the draft, you might have forgotten about the team's seventh-round draft pick. Hagg was taken at No. 248 overall out of 253 possible picks. Had the Browns not been awarded a compensatory pick, Hagg probably would have been in limbo as an undrafted free agent.
Now, Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini is speaking out on his former safety with high praise. His praise is higher than you might imagine, as he called Hagg "the steal of the draft" in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal.
From Pelini:
''Truthfully, as we look at our personnel for next year, trying to replace Eric is probably our most difficult task because he was such a versatile player,'' Pelini said. ''He's a long safety who was physical in run support, and yet he was as good a cover guy as any of our corners. 'In my mind, Eric was probably our defensive MVP for the last two years. You can use him in so many different ways and in so many different roles. Guys like him don't come along very often.''
Keep in mind that Nebraska also had cornerback Prince Amukamara on their team last season. Could Hagg actually end up contending for the vacant safety position? Of course, Pelini could just be biased, as the article notes that he is a lifelong Browns fan.